{"id":44145,"date":"2026-01-16T16:43:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/27-media-journalists-from-central-west-africa-on-familiarisation-visit-to-india\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:43:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:13:09","slug":"27-media-journalists-from-central-west-africa-on-familiarisation-visit-to-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/27-media-journalists-from-central-west-africa-on-familiarisation-visit-to-india\/","title":{"rendered":"27 Media Journalists from Central & West Africa on Familiarisation Visit to India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Invited by MEA\u2019s XP Division, Journalists Interact with ICCR; India Showcases Cultural Diplomacy, Soft Power and Media Ecosystem<\/em><\/p>\n

New Delhi [India], January 16: <\/strong>A delegation of 27 senior journalists and media professionals from Central and West Africa, invited by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), XP Division, is on a familiarisation visit to India from January 13 to January 22, 2026. As part of the programme, the delegation had an interaction session with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in New Delhi today.<\/p>\n

The visiting journalists represent Cameroon, Cook Islands, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Ghana, Kiribati, Liberia, Mauritania, Niger, Republic of Congo, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tonga.<\/p>\n

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The delegation is visiting Delhi, Mumbai and Agra, gaining first-hand exposure to India\u2019s cultural heritage, development journey, democratic institutions and vibrant media ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Interaction with ICCR Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

During their visit to ICCR, the delegation interacted with senior officials, including Smt. K. Nandini Singla, Director General, ICCR, and Shri Rajesh Ranjan, Deputy Director General, ICCR.<\/p>\n

Smt. K. Nandini Singla, Director General, ICCR, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIndia\u2019s cultural diplomacy is a powerful instrument of soft power. Through Yoga, Ayurveda, Indian languages, arts and education, India connects with the world at a people-to-people level. Media familiarisation visits enable journalists to experience this living culture first-hand and share authentic stories with global audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shri Rajesh Ranjan, Deputy Director General, ICCR, added:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIndia\u2019s engagement with Africa and island nations goes beyond diplomacy. It is rooted in shared civilisational values, mutual respect and cooperation. Media exchanges help strengthen trust and deepen long-term partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cultural Diplomacy and India\u2019s Soft Power<\/strong><\/p>\n

The programme highlights India\u2019s globally recognised soft power strengths, including Yoga, Ayurveda, Indian languages, music, dance and traditional knowledge systems, which continue to gain worldwide acceptance.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s leadership in promoting the International Day of Yoga, the expanding global footprint of Ayurveda, and growing interest in Hindi and other Indian languages reflect the country\u2019s rising cultural influence across continents. Through ICCR\u2019s global network of cultural centres and academic exchanges, India continues to build enduring cultural bridges with Africa, the Pacific and beyond.<\/p>\n

Showcasing India\u2019s Media Industry<\/p>\n

The familiarisation visit also introduces the delegation to India\u2019s diverse and robust media landscape, one of the largest in the world.<\/p>\n

India has:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thousands of newspapers and periodicals<\/p>\n

Publications in dozens of languages, including all 22 constitutionally recognised (Scheduled) languages<\/p>\n

A strong presence of English, Hindi and regional-language media<\/p>\n

A rapidly expanding digital and multimedia news ecosystem<\/p>\n

Indian media plays a crucial role in reflecting the country\u2019s diversity, democratic discourse and development narrative, making it a key area of interest for visiting international journalists.<\/p>\n

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Media, Culture and People-to-People Engagement<\/strong><\/p>\n

During their visits to Delhi, Mumbai and Agra, the journalists will engage with media organisations, cultural institutions and heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal, symbolising India\u2019s civilisational depth and cultural continuity.<\/p>\n

The journalists are expected to produce digital stories, articles, videos and social media content for their respective platforms, sharing first-hand perspectives on India\u2019s culture, media industry and global engagement.<\/p>\n

Strengthening Global Narratives<\/strong><\/p>\n

This familiarisation visit, organised under the aegis of the MEA\u2019s XP Division with ICCR as a key partner, underscores India\u2019s commitment to cultural diplomacy, soft power outreach and media collaboration, positioning journalism as a vital bridge in strengthening India\u2019s relationships with Africa and island nations.<\/p>\n

By Amit Deshmukh<\/p>\n

If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Invited by MEA\u2019s XP Division, Journalists Interact with ICCR; India Showcases Cultural Diplomacy, Soft Power and Media Ecosystem New Delhi [India], January 16: A delegation of 27 senior journalists and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":44146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[649],"class_list":["post-44145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","tag-national","rishi-post"],"rishi__cb_customizer_meta":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaliorbuzz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}